Juan Cruz, Phillies Agree to Void Deal

Since he never formally signed his contract last month, Juan Cruz and the Phillies agreed to grant the right-hander free agency. (Image Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports)

Juan Cruz first agreed to a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies back in mid-January. The deal included an invitation to Spring Training, however it would appear that Cruz will not be reporting to the team’s training complex in Clearwater, FL. The 34 year old and the team came to a mutual decision to rescind the original deal early Wednesday morning, according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, allowing him to become a free agent.

Cruz spent the 2012 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, appearing in 43 games. The right-hander finished the season 1-1 with a 2.78 ERA, 1.626 WHIP, and 8.3 K/9 over 35.2 IP. Pittsburgh designated him for assignment in early August, but Cruz refused to accept his assignment to the minor leagues. The team subsequently released him, ending his season.

Despite reaching their original agreement on January 15th, it would appear that Cruz never formally signed his new contract for the upcoming season and was set to do so upon arriving for Spring Training. Once the team signed Chad Durbin to a deal on January 29th, Cruz apparently grew concerned over his chances to make the team. Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer relayed that the two sides no longer felt there was a fit for Cruz with Durbin in the fold.